dioxin in gelatin?

[Joseph R Parrish Jr <JoeParrish@compuserve.com>]

Jon,
I thought dioxins were more likely to be found in lipophilic 
substances such as milk fat in milk, etc.  So gelatin does not 
seem to be the right sort of thing to contain it.  However, see 
the "other" post from Promed below about madcow disease now in 
France.  Appears the limiting of British meats did not do the 
trick.  Also, there is a post re a new computer virus, since there 
does seem to be a plague of them recently.  I got another one today, 
NewPark.exe which Norton detected fortunately.  But there seems 
to be a flurry going around.
I'll post your good response to the Belgian fire to Promed to 
see if they respond, or even post it.  They select what gets 
posted there.  
Joe

Re:
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 19:55:07 -0500 (EST)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
Subject: PRO/ALL> Computer worm alert

COMPUTER WORM ALERT
************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>

Date: Fri 17 Dec 1999
From: Phil Temples <phil@promedmail.org>


The W32/Mypics.worm was highlighted on the various evening network news
broadcasts this evening [in the USA].  It attempts to send a file attachment
of the name
"PICS4YOU.EXE" which deletes the contents of a hard disk on 1/1/2000.

Do NOT open any attachment with that name.

See http://vil.mcafee.com/vil/wm10456.asp for particulars.

Phil
- --
Phil Temples
ProMED-mail computer support
<phil@promedmail.org>
.............................................jw


------------------------------

Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 20:24:56 -0500 (EST)
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promed.isid.harvard.edu>
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> BSE - France (12)

BSE - FRANCE (12)
*****************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>

Date: Fri 17 Dec 1999
From: Marjorie P. Pollack, M.D. <pollackmp@mindspring.com>
Source: Reuters Fri 17 Dec 1999


France reports 29th case of mad cow disease in 1999
- ----------------------------------------------------
France reported a new case of mad cow disease (BSE) on Friday, bringing the
number of cattle in the country found with the illness to 29 this year.

The disclosure, which came days after France reported the 27th and 28th
cases of BSE for the year, follows the government's decision last week to
defy the European Commission and maintain a ban on British beef because of
fears that it still poses a human health threat.

News of the latest BSE case also came a day after the French government said
doctors have found a second case in France of the deadly human brain
disorder [new variant] Creutzfeld Jacob Disease (CJD), which is suspected to
be linked to beef contaminated with BSE.

The farm ministry said in a statement the infected dairy cow was from the
Cantal region in central France, and that authorities had slaughtered it and
138 other cattle in the same herd. The ministry said the latest diseased
cow, born in France in September 1994, was most probably infected by
consuming feed not destined for cattle.

France banned nerve tissue, ground bone and certain organs from being used
in French cattle feed in 1990. [Unfortunately, banning and non-inclusion are
two separate events. - MHJ] The French government has said the number of
fresh BSE cases should die down after 2001 as the disease's incubation
period is 5 years and even tougher controls were placed on animal feed in
late 1996.

France has a total cattle herd of about 21 million. The latest case brought
to 78 the total number of reported cases of BSE in France since the first
case was dicovered in 1991. All but one of the 29 BSE-affected cows
identified this year were born in France. The exception came from
Switzerland.

The European Commission earlier this week stepped up its legal battle
against France over its refusal to lift the embargo on British beef, giving
Paris until 21 Dec 1999 to justify its ban or face swift court action.
British beef exports were originally banned in March 1996 after London
admitted a possible link between BSE and CJD. The Commission lifted the ban
on British beef on 1 Aug 1999, and the EU's top scientists have since judged
the meat to be as safe as any in the EU (sic).

- ---
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[If you want to see where this 78th case occured, go to the following
website:
http://perso.infonie.fr/vetolavie/bse/cartbse.htm#carte
It is just below the centre of France.

Another site is:
http://www.pointveterinaire.com/uk/home.html
and click on Semaine Veterinaire. Unfortunately this European overview has
not been updated since 15 Nov 99.

It is hard to foresee how this latest EU wrangle will work out as it
reflects politics more than science. France reminds me of a Punch cartoon of
around 1913 on European politics which had the comment, "Everyone's out of
step except our Willy."  For those not recognising the reference, "Willy"
was Kaiser Wilhelm preparing for war and the English colloquialism "our" is
used in regard to family -- Wilhelm was, I think, Queen Victoria's
grandson -- European royalty was closer bred then. - MHJ]
.....................................................................mhj/jw


---------- Forwarded Message ----------

From:	INTERNET:Jon.Campbell@MetraTech.com, INTERNET:Jon.Campbell@MetraTech.com
TO:	Multiple recipients of list DIOXIN-L, INTERNET:dioxin-l@essential.org
DATE:	12/20/99 12:15 PM

RE:	dioxin in gelatin?

 
Hi, folks,

      Has anyone seen or does anyone remember seeing anything about dioxin
measurements in gelatin? Anyone know where gelatin is produced? I assume it
is from steer remains - the rendering plants - and there was some talk in
the UK about the possibility that the MadCow prion (or whatever agent was
responsible for madcow disease) might be found in gelatin, but that is the
only reference to gelatin that I have seen. I have to assume that since it
is a by-product of meat production that it is likely to have dioxin
residues.

      The reason I ask is both for personal and research reasons. I take a
huge pile of vitamin supplements (especially during recovery of a herniated
disc - lots of ginseng, Vitamin C, gingko, vitamin A, etc) which are all
wrapped in gelatin. If gelatin is in fact dioxin contaminated, we should be
convincing the supplement manufacturers to go to "vegicaps".

Thanks
Jon Campbell